COP29: What is it and will it make a difference?

The UN has warned that existing policies are so far falling short and the world is on track for a 'catastrophic' 3.1C of global warming, as ITV News' Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana reports

Every year delegates from hundreds of countries gather to talk all things climate related for the Conference of Parties, or COP.

This year is the 29th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. The event, which is being hosted in Baku, Azerbaijan, lasts from November 11 to November 22 and will feature politicians, business people, scientists and campaigners.

So what actually is COP29, and will any of it make a difference?

What is COP29 and what's the backdrop?

COP29 is the annual climate change conference hosted by the United Nations, and it is an opportunity to negotiate the latest set of climate policies.

The two-week event will involve speeches, workshops, film screenings and crucially, policy discussions between world leaders.

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This year's conference is taking place in what is set to be the hottest year ever on record, with extreme weather conditions such as flooding and hurricanes providing stark examples of the urgency of tackling climate change.

Why is Azerbaijan a controversial host?

The host country of the COP normally rotates among the five United Nations regional groups. The regional group then selects a country to host the conference and that offer is considered by the Conference of Parties organisers.

Azerbaijan has been a controversial choice - not dissimilarly to Dubai last year - due to it being heavily reliant on oil.

Nearly all of Azerbaijan’s exports are oil and gas, which are two of the world’s leading sources of planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. President Ilham Aliyev described them in April as a “gift of the gods.”

It was in Baku, the capital and host city, where the world’s first oil fields were developed in 1846 and where Azerbaijan led the world in oil production in 1899.

Mr Aliyev has said it is a “big honour” for Azerbaijan to host the conference. He has also said he wants his country to use more renewable energy at home so that it can export more oil and gas abroad.

What will be discussed?

Each COP has its own theme - this year's is being called the "finance COP" as one of the major issues set to be discussed is financial commitments from wealthy countries to help poorer countries cope with the impacts of climate change.

Wealthier countries have previously pledged $100 billion (£77 billion) a year in private and public finance to help poorer nations by 2020, but experts have warned that figure needs to rise to one trillion dollars a year by 2030.

The countries hit that figure two years later than was originally agreed at COP15 in 2009.

It looks like it will be hard to reach a consensus on the issue of finances, with countries so far having disagreed on everything from how much money is needed, and what type of finance is necessary, to which countries should contribute and how it should be spent.

Each country is also set to publish their own national plans for cutting emissions, known as national determined contributions (NDCs).

These outline how each nation plans to help meet the goals of the 2015 global Paris Agreement, which aims to prevent the worst impacts of warming.

The latest NDCs, which will cover 2025 to 2035, are due ahead of Cop20 in Brazil next December.

All eyes will be on how - and whether - countries incorporate the landmark deal made at COP28 in Dubai to transition away from fossil fuels.

In recent months, some oil rich-nations have looked to push back on the deal and frustrate progress to deliver on the agreement.

Do COP meetings make a difference?

COP is considered a significant global event, but there is debate as to whether it yields much of an outcome when it comes to tackling climate change.

COP21 saw the introduction of the Paris Agreement, which was key in focusing countries' policies around restricting rising temperatures to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, and at COP26 countries reaffirmed that commitment,

At COP27 nations established a loss and damage fund, which encouraged wealthier nations to compensate developing countries particularly badly impacted by climate change, while last year's COP in Dubai saw countries commit to transitioning away from fossil fuels.

This year's focus on climate finance is expected to yield more money for developing nations and emphasise the importance of countries being about to adapt to help themselves and other more vulnerable nations in the face of climate change.

How are countries doing on climate action so far?

The Paris Agreement triggered some landmark agreements, with almost 200 countries having put forward plans to cut emissions.

Greenhouse gases continue to rise and reached record levels of concentration in the world’s atmosphere in 2023, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said.

The UN has warned that existing policies are so far falling short and the world is on track for a “catastrophic” 3.1C of global warming.

In its annual report on the gap between the emissions cuts needed to limit global warming to 1.5C and what countries are doing and have pledged to do, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said the goal would “soon be dead” without a global mobilisation on a scale and pace never seen before.

UNEP also highlighted an “enormous gap” in financing for adapting to climate change with authors saying adequate financing for prevention is much cheaper than compensating for losses and damage.

How is the UK doing?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will be at the opening summit of COP29, while Energy Secretary Ed Miliband will also play a key role for the UK during the talks.

It comes as Labour seeks to reposition Britain at the centre of global climate and nature diplomacy, marking a contrast from the previous Conservative government, which rowed back on green policies and axed the climate envoy position.

UK officials plan to send a strong message with its plans for climate action as it releases its NDC for 2035 at the summit, hoping to galvanise ambitious commitments from other countries.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has recommended the government pledge to cut emissions by at least 81% on 1990 levels by 2035 in its new NDC. The then-Tory Government followed the CCC’s advice on the target the last time around in 2020.

The UK is also expected to take a strong position on cementing the COP28 agreement to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, including being clear on how the world will take forward and track progress on this commitment.

Will the US election result make a difference?

World leaders will be grappling with the fallout of the US presidential election, which will see Donald Trump return to the White House in what analysts say is a trend of climate scepticism in elections this year.

During his campaign, Trump described climate change as “one of the great scams of all time” and a “hoax”, while "drill, baby, drill!" became a commonly used phrase in relation to America's oil fields.

The president-elect said he plans to roll back green incentives domestically and take America – the world’s second-largest emitter after China – out of the Paris Agreement again.

While President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration will be involved in the talks, Trump’s victory could nonetheless overshadow the negotiations and dampen ambition from other nations.

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